Rhine reopened to river shipping as water level falls

FILE PHOTO: A sculpture and a park bench are flooded by the river Rhine as the town of Linz is seen in the background, Germany, January 5, 2018. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay

HAMBURG (Reuters) - Germany’s Rhine river was reopened to shipping on Monday after waters fell, following its closure for the past week as rain and melting snow raised water levels, authorities said.

High water mostly peaked in north Germany over the weekend, but levels have fallen substantially allowing vessel sailings on the entire stretch, the river flood monitoring agency said. Some vessel speed restrictions, however, remain in north Germany, it said.

Rising water levels mean vessels do not have enough space to sail under bridges.

The Rhine is an important shipping route for commodities including minerals, coal and oil products such as heating oil, grains and animal feed. It is also an important route for Switzerland’s imports